-568 84 Robert Brooke, Joseph Strahan and Jacob Ballinger, City Commissioners. Robert H. Smith, City Clerk. John M. Read, Esq. Attorney and Solicitor for the Corporation. Peter Conrad and George Beck, Clerks of High-st. James Gillingham, Clerk of Second street Market. Armon Davis, Collecter of Water Rents for Southern APPOINTMENTS BY THE GOVERNOR. The Sentinel gives the following list of Justices of the Peace, appointed for this county, a short time before Governor Shulze retired from office. and Oxford. Alfred Ingraham, commissioned June 15, 1829. In submitting to the benevolent public the foregoing statement of the condition and operations of the South-2d District-Byberry, Lower Dublin, Moreland, ern Dispensary, the Managers beg leave to call attention to its usefulness, and its wants, unquestionably among the best and least abused charities-the benefits of a Dispensary are applied to such persons as were relieved by the "good Samaritan." They are sick and helpless, and poor and friendless, and are our "neighbours" both as to moral claims and local residence.They live and they pine within the sound of our rejoicing, and within sight of our comfort and our profession-shall they be denied the crumbs which fall from our tables? Such an appeal is made and justified by the wants of the Southern Dispensary, which, with an increasing list of patients, sees no proportional increase of the means of relief, but is yet compelled to rigidly economize in the application of even medicines; and is unable to supply wine and light food, when the most urgent calls for them is made, and under circumstances where their application determines the conflict between recovery and dissolution. Donations and Subscriptions may be directed to the Treasurer, Robert M'Mullin, No. 62, Swanson street, or to any of the managers. C. PENROSE, President. Attendant-P. WILLIAMSON, Secretary. Election of Bank Directors-On Monday 21st inst. the house proceeded to the election of bank directors, on the part of the House of Representatives, viz― For the Pennsylvania Bank. *Benjamin W. Richards, had 3d District-Bristol, Germantown Francis Murphy, Abraham B. Amerman, Jacob Coats, Jacob F. Hæckley, Dec. 14, & Roxborough. May 23, Sept. 22, Dec. 7, Dec. 7, May 23, Sept. 22, Sept. 22, Oct. 8, Oct. 16, Joseph P. Le Clerc, Oct. 16, Henry Benner, Oct. 16, Thomas Cave, 58 votes. 48 Samuel Black, Whereupon the speaker declared that Benjamin W. Richards, Thomas Cave and Henry Toland, were duly elected. John Johnston, 6th District-Blockley and Kingsessing. Henry Leech, *Mr. Frederick returned his commission to Governor Shulze. Theological Seminary. The committee appointed o select a scite for the buildings of the Theological Semnary of the Lutheran Church, met in Gettysburg, last week, and determined upon the ridge of ground near the western precincts of that borough. Adams Sent. Printed every SATURDAY MORNING by WILLIAM F. GEDDES, No. 59 Loenst Street. Philadelphia; where, and at the PUBLICATION OFFICE, IN FRANKLIN PLACE, second door back of the Post Office, (back room) subscriptions will be thankfully received. Price FIVE DOLLARS per annum, payable annually by subscribers residing in or near the city, or where here is an agent. Other subscribers pay in advance, THE REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA. DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE. VOL. V.-NO. 2. EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD. FINANCES OF PHILADELPHIA. SELECT COUNCIL, Dec. 10th, 1829. Remarks of Mr. READ on the second reading of the Bill, entitled "A Supplement to the several ordinances providing for the appointment of City Commissioners, City Treasurer, and City Recording Surveyor and prescribing their duties." Sinking fund of NO. 106 14,000 00 And it leaves a nett balance of of 1830 The third is Taxation The taxes at 86 cents in the 100 dollars Making with No. 1 and 2, as above stated, a 21,628 24 208,500 00 $254,870 81 From which we must deduct another perma- $150,094 81 For all the various expenditures of the city. More than one-half of this sum has been expended this year in the sin Mr. READ remarked that the object of the Bill was to secure a strict accountability on the part of some of our principal executive officers, and also to place before councils, and our constituents, at stated periods, such accurate information relative to our city expenditures,as may enable them to understand our real situation and duly to appreciate the manner in which the public concerns are managed. Secrecy ought not to be encour. aged or allowed in our municipal government—and a stated publication of our financial and executive operations would be satisfactory and instructive to the people -and have a very strong tendency to decrease our angle item of paving. nual expenses. A careful survey of our operations for the last few years will convince us all that the time has arrived for the Legislature of the city to look warily at the increasing demands on the Treasury, which if not narrowly watched, and restrained, must lead to a vast increase of our public debt, without a prospect of providing our successors with any legitimate means of discharging it. The state of our Debt and of the Sinking Fund is a with our Water Works and amounted in 1800 matter of serious consideration. Our debt commenced to In 1819 to 1,234,700 and the Sinking Fund 72,497 80 994,438 75 In 1830 it will be 1,937,400, the Sinking was 240,261 25, leaving a real debt of An examination is first necessary into the sources Fund 367,028 11, leaving a real debt of 1,570,371 89 and amount of our annual revenue with the permanent The interest payable on our debt in 1830 will be charges on it-in order to shew the means upon which 104,776 dolls., and the amount of debt has been alreawe depend for the payment of our ordinary expendi- dy increased this year by loans to the amount of 102,tures. Let us for example examine the revenue for 400 dolls. and a sum varying from 35,000 to 40,000 dol1830; and the following estimates for that year, are ba-lars, must be added to supply the deficiencies in our sed upon the known results of several preceding years. Our corporate income is derived from three sources. The first consists of three items FINANCES OF PHILADELPHIA-MR. READ'S REMARKS. 18 (JANUARY Interest on Debt.propriated for this purpose was 15,000 dollars. In 1819 the amount expended was 22,155 dollars. We then had 38 loud watch and 8 silent watch, making together 46; the number of lamps was 1378, and the average number of lamps under the care of each watchman was 36. 29,913 30,100 At this time the item of New Paving Appropriation No. 1, became a matter of considerable interest and importance as will appear by the following Table. appropriated Whole am't Interest. 200,000 249,179 1829 92,181 100,106 New Paving. In 1827, the first year of the rapid extension of our pavements, the expenditure was 42,451 53; and the city watch numbered ninety-nine individuals, who were thus arranged 16 Silent Watch. 26 East and West Watch. 47 Lamp-lighters. 4 Market Watch. 3 At the City Hall and Independence Square. 2 Turnkeys. 27,698 35 208,500 249,598 And we have expended already for New Paving appropriation No. 1, 80,860 30 dolls. and the orders yet to be paid will certainly raise it to between 83 and 85,000 dolls. before the accounts of 1829 are closed. Mr. READ said he would call the attention of council to appropriation, No. 1, which has increased at so great a rate for the last three years, as in the present yea (1829) to consume more than one half of our nelt reven ue. All above 35,000 dollars of this item, has been done by loan, which of course adds to our debt and annual interest. This must and will necessarily raise our taxes, unless speedily checked. We have fortunately arrived at a period when the new paving has outstripped private improvement and we shall be thus enabled by a small annual appropria The lamps were then 1801 in number, making an increase of 423 lamps since 1819, of which 105 had been put up during the year 1827. The average monthly wages of the Watch were 2300 dollars-27,600 dollars per annum. In 1828 the expenditure was 38,662 48, and in 1829 In 1827 the amount expended was Real expenditure tion for that object to perform, all the paving necessary In 1828 the amount expended for the actual wants of this great metropolis. Mr. READ said that he believed every public street east of Thirteenth street, with the exception of Cherry street, between Tenth and Eleventh streets, was paved; many of those between Thirteenth and Broad streets are also completed, and four complete avenues, Spruce, Chestnut, Market, and Race streets, have been finished to the Schuylkill, crossed near the western water front by Schuylkill Front street, which is paved from the Northern to the Southern boundary of the city. Much work therefore of actual necessity, does not offer itself, during the ensuing year and the interest of our constituents, demands that no additional burthens should be laid upon them. There are two other important items of city expenditure, which depend mainly on the annual amount of paying, and which if permitted to increase as they have done during this year, must absorb a very large portion of our revenue. Mr. Read said he referred to appropriation No. 5, for lighting and watching, and No. 3, for cleansing the city. The increase of pavement necessarily enlarged the demands on both. The lighting and watching of the city is one of the most essential duties imposed upon us by our charter; it cannot be dispensed with; and must keep pace with population and improvement. In 1802, the amount ap Deduct sales of street dirt In 1829 the amount appropriated was Deduct sales of street dirt 14,128 13 2,505 35 $11,623 78 18,014 44 5,355 67 $12,658 77 19,158 35 6,295 37 $12,862 93 13,400 00 17.751 37 4,388 74 In 1826, the assessed value of the Real In 1829, it was Being an apparent income of Northern District No. 3 Total The expenditure as above stated was 19 17,900 70,055 71,862 03 In 1829 the whole amount ordered (and which may now be called finished) as appears by a statement of the city recording surveyor is as follows, with the number of cubic yards of earth dug in each district. Cubic yards Square yards of earth. of paving. Southern District No. 1 11,171 9,290 6,927 Square yards 29,545 22,145 18,913 70,603 $22,369,800 Making only 548 more square yards of paving done than 24,202,786 last year-and the amount now drawn on this appropriation is $80,086 30, which will certainly be increased to 83 and perhaps to 85,000, being from 11 to 13,000 more than the expenditure of last year. 1,832,986 Mr. R. said he called it apparent, for as long as the anti-republican practice was legal, for the assessor to These facts show the imperious necessity of constant return himself to the county commissioners, as a col- and regular information relative to our expenses, and lector for the District he has assessed, and to be ap- the impolicy of legislating in the dark. Quarterly repointed by them, it is impossible to say whether the in- ports such as are proposed in this bill, from the city crease at a triennial assessment, is solely caused by an commissioners,city clerk, city treasurer and city recordactual increase of taxable property, or by merely an aug-ing surveyor, would have put us on our guard, and so mented valuation of estates whose condition has not been materially changed. The temptation is still greater, when the collection of the city taxes in that same ward can be obtained. In 1828, the taxes were $200,000, being at the rate of 88 cents in the $100 on the assessment of 1826, and in the present year, (1829) $208,500 having been raised, being 86 cents in the $100 on the assessment of 1829. Our taxes have therefore increased, although the rate has been reduced. But it is perfectly evident that no increase of taxation can take place until 1832, the next triennial assessment, without raising the present percentage on the 100 dollars, which all must agree ought not to be done. Which will be increased to between 35 and 40,000, Making $1 38 in the 100 on the assessed value of before the financial year is closed, all of which must be real estate in the city. raised by loan, as the appropriations not yet overdrawn can afford no relief. We cannot, therefore, resort to taxes, nor can any one say that we should use loans as regular and permanent means to pave, cleanse, light and watch cur city. If such were to be the case, we should stil more contract our income, and hamper ourselves and posterity. There is one particular method-reduce appropria- borrowed merely for the ordinary expenditures of the tion No. 1, to its old standard. We cannot be called upon to expend more than 20,000 dollars during the ensuing year. The paving itself will be done better and last longer-and our paving stones will be the real hard Water Pebble, instead of the brittle and perishable Land Stone. We must and ought to retrench this branch of our public expenditure. Appropriation No. 1, consists of about 20 items in the The 1st, 2d and 3d section are copied from similar Commissioners' accounts, of which hauling gravel and provisions relative to the Treasurer, and are intended paving stone, the pay of labourers and carters and the to form a record of all monies received by the city compurchase of paving stone, constitute all but a few thou-missioners and city clerks. The 4th section takes its sand dollars. origin from a dispute relative to a bill or account of Thomas Allibone mentioned in the report of the joint committee of Paving and Accounts made to the late Councils, and in pursuance of a recommendation made by them. The 5th, 6th and 8th sections are particularly intended to inform councils quarterly of the state of our new paving and its cost-specifying particularly the cost of each street, with an account of the different items of expense making up the same. The 7th section requires quarterly reports from the City Clerk, and the 9th section directs the immediate publication of these different accounts and reports for the use of the Councils and the immediate reference of such accounts to the committee of Accounts. Little Lehigh Creek rises in Bucks county and running a south-easterly course receives the water of Cedar creek and Jordan and falls into the Lehigh river at the borough of Northampton. It is a beautiful stream and has a number of flour mills upon it; but is navigable only about half a mile from its mouth. Mr. R. said in conclusion he could merely suggest two improvements which would save money, and in the last one add materially to the comfort of our citizens, and particularly of those located west of Broad street. The first was that the digging out and filling up streets The Jordan rises at the foot of the Blue Mountain in preparatory to paving should be done by contract. This Heidleburg township, and running a very crooked course can be done in some cases as low as 8 cents per cubic to the S. E. falls into the Little Lehigh about 100 perchyard, and yet it has cost often during the present year, es from its mouth. The Jordan and its various branchsix times that sum. The other would be instead of leaves turn a great number of mills but is not navigable.The waters of the Jordan are much affected by wet and dry seasons. ing our unpaved streets west of Broad street merely marked lines on a common, gradually to make them good roads by the use of a good plough and oxen and a large scraper. This could be effected at very little expense, and would save heavy expenditure for digging out and filling up when it is deemed expedient to pave and would add materially to the comfort of our poorer fellow citizens to the west. Phil. Gaz. [For a table of city expenditures from 1816 to 1828 see vol 3p. 352 and for a table of taxes for 1829 see vol. 4. page 265.] GEOGRAFIICAL GTES ON LEHIGH CO. A friend has placed in our hands a small manuscript volume of Geographical notes on Luzerne, Susquehanna, Northampton and Lehigh counties, written by Isaac A. Chapman, Esq. in 1817, in reply to queries addressed to him as a "contractor," by N. B. Boileau and T. Leach, Esquires-when materials were collecting for the State Maps. The information was very correct at the time, and in the principal particulars will apply to the present period. Some towns have of course since risen up of considerable importance, and parts of the country then a wilderness have yielded, to the industry of an enterprising population, fruitful rewards. We hope to be enabled in pursuance of our plan and by the aid of gentlemen of intelligence in those counties to continue the account to the present period. We commence with Lehigh county. LEHIGH COUNTY Was erected from the County of Northampton on the 6th March, 1812. It is 28 miles long and 15 broad in its widest part,& contains389 square miles, or 248960 acres. The soil of Lehigh County is of an excellent general quality and perhaps two thirds of it 1st quality. It is in general much better calculated for grain than for grazing; wheat and rye are the staple productions. I should estimate that seven-tenths of Lehigh County are improved and the wood-lands although they are the spontaneous production of the soil and are composed principally of the timber found in the soil by the primitive settlers yet they are cleaned of logs and brushwood, and carefully nursed. Along the foot of the Blue Mountain and in a few instances on the South Mountain, there are forests in all the wildness of nature. Nine tenths of the County at least are fit or proper for oultivation, and there is now (excepting the two mountains) as much of the land under cultivation as is perhaps proper so to be, making sufficient provision for the necessary supply of timber and fuel. Lehigh produces no mineral springs, and no minerals but iron; and that as far as present knowledge extends, only in very small quantities, although there are indications of some good beds of ore. The mountains of Lehigh County are only two; and lie upon the north and the south boundaries. They are the Blue Mountain upon the north, and the South Mountain or Lehigh hills upon the south; both of which have been described in the preceding notes. The county although not mountainous is very hilly. The Rivers and Streams of Lehigh County are the following viz-Lehigh River, Little Lehigh, Jordan, Saucon, Trout, Antelauny and Bailicts or Copley creeks; Lehigh river bas been perhaps sufficiently described in the preceding notes. Saucon Creek rises in Upper Milford township and running north-easterly falls into the Lehigh river on the south side about four miles below Bethlehem in Northampton county. The Saucon which gives name to two townships has a number of fine mills but is not navigable. Trout Creek rises at the foot of the Blue Mountain, and running easterly falls into the Lehigh river about two miles below the Water Gap. Trout creek turns several mills, but is not sufficiently large to be navigable. Antelauny or Maiden Creek rises in Lynn township, and running westerly along the foot of the Mountain Schuylkill. It has a number of mills but is too small in passes into Berks county and eventually falls into the Lehigh County to be navigable. township, and running south-easterly falls into the LeBallicts or Copley Creek rises in North White Hall high about five miles above the borough of Northampton. It turns several mills but is too small for navigation and fails very much in dry seasons. which rises from one large spring in Macungy township The Little Lehigh has a branch called Cedar Creek and turns a large flour mill, about six perches below the fountain. This stream in running about three miles falls into Little Lehigh. same size, not varying with the wet and dry seasonsIt appears always of the edge looks green at all seasons of the year, the water never freezes and the grass which grows to the water melting the snow away and keeping it uncovered. Some distance N. W. from the fountain of Cedar creek, is a stream which runs a course of about three miles and sinks into the earth. It is probable that this water is the same which forms Cedar creek fountain. A Canal navigation might be formed between the Lehigh and Schuylkill, by the Jordan and Antelauny; but as this work would be expensive, there is no object which at present would justify the undertaking. Other water communications between the two rivers, I consider impracticable. The Towns and Villages of Lehigh county are the following viz:-The Borough of Northampton (otherwise called Allentown,) Millerstown and Emaus. Northamp ton formerly called Allentown, is situated at the junction of the Jordan and Little Lehigh creeks about half a mile from the Lehigh river. The town is situated upon high ground, commanding a fine view of the surrounding country. The town was laid out before the erection of Northampton county, by William Allen Esq. from whom it received its name; and except Nazareth is the oldest town above the south mountain and east of the Schuylkill river. Its form is a square with the streets at right angles and a public square nearly in the centre. It contains a large elegant Court House, built of hewn limestone, a spacious prison of the same materials, two churches, and 112 dwelling houses besides shops and other out houses. Northampton was erected into a Borough, March 18th, 1811. On the main road to Bethlehem and in view of the town is an elegant Chain Bridge over the Lehigh river consisting of two loops and two half loops and suspended by four chains. The bridge is 230 feet long and 30 wide. There are also excellent stone bridges over the Lehigh and the Jordan. Here is a Bank called the Northampton Bank. Millerstown is a Village situated at the foot of the |